Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) Archive

Muslim Vote 2015

Welcome to MUSLIM VOTE, a platform to engage Muslims to participate in politics.

Fairness, Not Favours

This document is based on consultations amongst its affiliate network and with focus groups conducted in various UK regions; it also draws on the MCB’s recent publication, ‘British Muslims in Numbers’ that has used 2011 Census data and more recent research to provide a demographic, socio-economic and health profile of Muslims in Britain.

Together, Fairness, Not Favours give voice to the whole range of principles, ideas and concerns that British Muslims will have, not merely for their own interests, but for the common good of our shared future.

Why Vote?

As British Muslims we have a civil obligation to engage in the political process. Political engagement through voting is not a luxury – it is a necessity.

When we register to vote and turn out on polling day, the politicians take note. This means they become more responsive to the needs and views of all sections of their constituency.

It is our opportunity to counter the rise of racist and Islamophobic far right political parties, whose supporters are more likely to turn out and vote, and thus secure their position.

With the deadline to register to vote being 20th April 2015, the Muslim Council of Britain is working actively to promote voter registration, and encourage Muslim organisations to engage with their local prospective parliamentary candidates on issues that affect them.

Citizens need to register in order to be able to vote. If they are not registered to vote, they will not have the chance to have a say on who represents them come May 7th. Everyone must register themselves individually. It is now possible to register to vote online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. This process only takes approximately 5 minutes.

The Muslim Council of Britain encourages all British Muslims eligible to vote to make sure they register. It’s your vote – don’t lose it!

We also urge Imams and community leaders to remind their mosque congregations on the significance of voter registration and voter turn-out as an important civic responsibility. A co-signed statement from Imams encouraging British Muslims to engage fully in our country’s democratic processes shall shortly be made available.

About the Muslim Council of Britain

The Muslim Council of Britain is a national representative Muslim umbrella body with over 300 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, mosques, charities and schools. The MCB is pledged to work for the common good of society as a whole; encouraging individual Muslims and Muslim organisations to play a full and participatory role in public life.